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SF0071 • 2020

Life insurance premiums.

AN ACT relating to insurance; exempting alien insurers from specified life insurance premium taxes; requiring the separate reporting of specified life insurance premiums; modifying the tax rate for specified life insurance premiums; repealing obsolete provisions; specifying applicability; requiring a report; and providing for an effective date.

Elections Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senator Case
Last action
2020-03-24
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
1/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

The exact financial impact of the changes will be known after June 2022 when the report is provided.

Life Insurance Premiums Act

This law changes how life insurance premiums are taxed and reported, especially for policies with high annual costs.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts foreign insurers from taxes on parts of life insurance policy premiums over $100,000.
  • Requires insurers to report separately the premiums charged on life insurance policies with annualized premiums exceeding $100,000.
  • Changes the tax rate for life insurance premium income: 0.75% on the first $100,000 and 0.075% on amounts over $100,000.
  • Requires the Insurance Commissioner to report by June 1, 2022, about how these tax changes affect finances.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Insurance companies that sell life insurance policies in Wyoming.
  • Foreign insurers who offer life insurance products.
  • Policyholders with high-cost life insurance policies.

Terms To Know

Alien Insurers
Insurance companies based outside the United States.
Premium Taxes
Taxes paid by insurers on premiums collected from policyholders.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to life insurance policies issued after January 1, 2021.
  • It does not specify the exact financial impact of these changes until a report is provided in June 2022.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SF0071HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Zwonitzer

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement for the insurance commissioner to provide a report on the financial impact of a specific tax rate.

  • Adds language requiring the insurance commissioner to submit a summary report to a joint committee by June 1, 2022.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens after June 1, 2022 for future reports.
  • It is unclear how detailed or comprehensive the report must be.
SF0071HS001

Standing Committee • House Revenue Committee

Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement for reports on life insurance premiums to be provided to a legislative committee.

  • Adds language requiring the commissioner to provide copies of specified reports to the joint corporations, elections and political subdivisions interim committee by June 1 each year.
  • Modifies existing text by changing punctuation in certain sections.
  • The amendment's text does not specify all details about the reports or their content, which limits a full understanding of its impact.
SF0071S3001

3rd reading • Senator Case

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies the bill to specify that certain life insurance policies with annualized premiums are exempt from specified premium taxes and require separate reporting.

  • Adds language to exempt alien insurers from paying specific life insurance premium taxes for policies with annualized premiums.
  • Requires these policies with annualized premiums to be reported separately.
  • The amendment does not provide details on the tax rate modifications or which provisions are considered obsolete, so those specifics cannot be explained here.
SF0071SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Revenue Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the applicability of a new insurance act to only life insurance policies issued on or after January 1, 2021.

  • Adds a new section specifying that the act applies only to life insurance policies issued from January 1, 2021, onwards.
  • Updates the numbering by changing 'Section 3' to 'Section 4'.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-24 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 136

  2. 2020-03-24 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0050

  3. 2020-03-12 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0050

  4. 2020-03-11 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0050

  5. 2020-03-11 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0050

  6. 2020-03-11 Senate

    S Concur:Passed 25-4-1-0-0

  7. 2020-03-11 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  8. 2020-03-10 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 57-1-2-0-0

  9. 2020-03-09 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2020-03-06 House

    H COW:Passed

  11. 2020-03-04 House

    H Placed on General File

  12. 2020-03-04 House

    H03 - Revenue:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  13. 2020-02-28 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H03 - Revenue

  14. 2020-02-26 House

    H Received for Introduction

  15. 2020-02-26 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-1-0-0-0

  16. 2020-02-25 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2020-02-24 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  18. 2020-02-20 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  19. 2020-02-20 Senate

    S03 - Revenue:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0

  20. 2020-02-11 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S03 - Revenue 29-0-1-0-0

  21. 2020-02-10 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  22. 2020-02-03 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 20LSO-0390
Bill No.:

SF0071

Effective:

1/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

20LSO-0390

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0050

Chapter No.:

136

Prime Sponsor:

Case

Catch Title:

Life insurance premiums.

Subject:

Life insurance premiums.

Summary/Major Elements:

The bill exempts alien insurers from life insurance premium taxes on that portion of a life insurance policy's annual premium exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

Existing law requires each authorized and formerly authorized insurer to file an annual report with the Insurance Commissioner showing the total direct premium income received during the immediately preceding calendar year. The bill requires an insurer to also identify separately in the report the premiums charged on life insurance policies with annualized premiums exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) for the immediately preceding calendar year.

At the time of filing the report, existing law requires an insurer to pay a tax for premium income received at a rate of seventy-five hundredths of a percent (0.75%). This bill modifies the tax rate for premium income received to seventy-five hundredths of a percent (0.75%) on the first one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) of a life insurance policy's annual premium and seventy-five hundredths of a percent (0.75%) on that portion of a life insurance policy's annual premium exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

Comments:

Requires the Insurance Commissioner to provide a report to the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee.

Has a Delayed Effective Date of January 1, 2021.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0390

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0071

ENROLLED ACT NO. 50,

SENATE

SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to insurance; exempting alien insurers from specified life insurance premium taxes; requiring the separate reporting of specified life insurance premiums; modifying the tax rate for specified life insurance premiums; repealing obsolete provisions; specifying applicability; requiring a report; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 26
‑
3
‑
130(b)(i), (ii) and by creating a new paragraph (iii) and 26
‑
4
‑
103(a)(intro), (b)(i)(D) and by creating a new subparagraph (E) are amended to read:

26
‑
3
‑
130.

Retaliatory provisions against other states and countries.

(b)

This section does not apply to:

(i)

Application fees, examination fees, license fees, appointment fees and continuation fees for agents, adjusters or consultants;
or

(ii)

Personal income taxes, ad valorem taxes on real or personal property nor to special purpose obligations or assessments imposed by another state in connection with particular kinds of insurance other than property insurance, except that the commissioner shall consider deductions, from premium taxes or other taxes otherwise payable, allowed because of real estate or personal property taxes paid in determining the propriety and extent of retaliatory action under this section
;
.

or

(iii)

Life insurance premium taxes on that portion of a life insurance policy's annual premium exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

26
‑
4
‑
103.

Premium taxes; generally; preemption by state.

(a)

Each authorized and formerly authorized insurer shall file with the commissioner on or before March 1 each year or within any extended period the commissioner grants not to exceed thirty (30) days, a report in a form the commissioner prescribes showing, except for wet marine and transportation insurance as defined in W.S. 26
‑
5
‑
107 and except as provided under subsection (k) of this section, total direct premium income including policy, membership and other fees, and all other considerations for insurance and annuity contracts, however designated, it received during the immediately preceding calendar year because of policies and contracts covering property, subjects or risks located, resident or to be performed in this state.
The report shall also identify separately the premiums charged on life insurance policies with annualized premiums exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) for the immediately preceding calendar year.
The total direct premium income reported shall include proper proportionate allocation of premiums or consideration as to those persons, property, subjects or risks in this state insured or covered under policies or contracts covering persons, property, subjects or risks located or resident in more than one (1) state, and shall be computed after deducting:

(b)

At the same time the report is filed, each insurer shall pay for the privilege of transacting business in this state, a tax upon net premiums and net considerations to be computed at the following rates:

(i)

As to each insurer, the tax rate, except as to annuity considerations, shall be as follows:

(D)

Except as provided in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph, f
or premium income received
,

in 1994 and thereafter the tax rate shall be
seventy
‑
five hundredths percent (.75%)
;
.

(E)

For premium income received, seventy
‑
five hundredths percent (.75%) on the first one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) of a life insurance policy's annual premium and seventy
‑
five thousandths of one percent (.075%) on that portion of a life insurance policy's annual premium exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

Section 2.

W.S. 26
‑
4
‑
103(b)(i)(A) through (C) is repealed.

Section 3.

The provisions of this act shall apply only to life insurance policies issued on or after January 1, 2021.

Section 4.

The insurance commissioner shall provide a summary report to the joint corporations, elections and political subdivisions interim committee by June 1, 2022 regarding the financial effect of the tax rate created under W.S. 26
‑
4
‑
103(b)(i)(E), as created by this act.
Section 5
.

This act is effective January 1, 2021
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1